Daily Tech News 31 July 2024

Top Story

Kids have been banned from the internet. (The Verge)

That's not what they are saying, but that's the likely result of the Senate passing the Kids Online Safety Act, which requires online services to actively monitor children using their services and protect them from all possible sources of harm, real or imaginary.

Which is more than parents do.

Far cheaper and easier to just ban children outright.

Of course this nonsense passed by a 91-3 majority. Senator Rand Paul called it a "Pandora's box of unintended consequences."

I call it dogshit.

There is a matching bill in the House but the article doesn't indicate the current status except that it hasn't been passed yet.

Tech News

Wait until it goes on sale. (The Verge)

The Amazon Echo Spot has no camera. And no ads because the limited screen can't handle them.

But it's also kind of dumb. Smart for a clock/radio, which is what it really is, but still dumb.
Apple is skipping Nvidia and going to Google for its AI platform. (Tom's Hardware)

It's not Nvidia's fault that everyone is throwing billions of dollars at them right now, but it's still annoying.
Other companies are also seeking alternatives to Nvidia: AMD's datacenter revenue increased by 115% year-on-year. (WCCFTech)

Partly due to increased server market share but also partly thanks to the company's own datacenter GPUs for AI and other numerical loads.
Meta (Facebook) is paying Texas $1.4 billion in fines over using customers biometric data without permission. (Texas Tribune)

Facebook was running facial recognition on every photo uploaded to the platform, without ever asking for permission. This has been illegal under Texas law since 2009.
Perplexity AI, an answerbot recently caught stealing everyone's content, has offered to share its stolen revenue with the people it stole it from. (CNBC)

Very generous.

Also, many people are accepting the offer, because (a) it's cheaper than a decade-long lawsuit and (b) it gets Perplexity on your side to sue the next company that tries this.

Disclaimer: Even more than IPFS I hate meetings.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at 05:11 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Nod over Nood

Posted by: Skip at July 31, 2024 05:13 AM (fwDg9)

2 I'm here

Posted by: Xiampino at July 31, 2024 05:14 AM (qfLjt)

3 Well, that was a short thread...

Posted by: Pixy Misa at July 31, 2024 05:14 AM (BLOW1)

4 Well momentarily I became some chinesed person Xiampino.

Posted by: Ciampino at July 31, 2024 05:15 AM (qfLjt)

5 Stomped!

Posted by: Bitblt at July 31, 2024 05:16 AM (4t1fl)

6 It is muggy outside

Posted by: Skip at July 31, 2024 05:19 AM (fwDg9)

7 Is it AOP that is having surgery today? Meant to wish that person all the best for a great outcome.

Posted by: Ciampino - Humpday #01 at July 31, 2024 05:25 AM (qfLjt)

8 My days are running together, it's today AOP is having surgery or yesterday.

Posted by: Skip at July 31, 2024 05:35 AM (fwDg9)

9 Better get outta here
Forward Dog 9 out

Posted by: Skip at July 31, 2024 05:35 AM (fwDg9)

10 Yes, today is AOP's surgery.

Posted by: Ben Had at July 31, 2024 05:37 AM (5MvGY)

11 Evening and morning, all. CBD has a new post above this one.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at July 31, 2024 05:37 AM (omVj0)

12 Good morning fellow insomniacs and over nighters.

Posted by: Tuna at July 31, 2024 05:38 AM (oaGWv)

13 Restorative stillness/.
A reflection on Psalm 46;

https://tinyurl.com/muwddp6t

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at July 31, 2024 05:39 AM (2azLK)

14 Mornin'

Tech Thread got bumped.

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at July 31, 2024 05:40 AM (sAmhv)

15 Hero flies into devastated area to save dogs;

https://tinyurl.com/2k57ch7n

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at July 31, 2024 05:42 AM (2azLK)

16 Prayers for AOP.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at July 31, 2024 05:43 AM (2azLK)

17 Hi, Fen. Looks like everybody went over to the other thread.

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at July 31, 2024 05:44 AM (sAmhv)

18 I have a prayer request as well. I needed to take my running mate to the emergency room yesterday afternoon. She was having excruciating pain in her lower back. Thx for the prayers.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at July 31, 2024 05:45 AM (2azLK)

19 Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at July 31, 2024 05:44 AM

Thanks. I'm staying here for the time being.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at July 31, 2024 05:46 AM (2azLK)

20 I'll lurk about then.

Went for a walk in the humid, dark morning. Reasonably quiet for a major metro area at 0445.

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at July 31, 2024 05:48 AM (sAmhv)

21 Facebook violates actual people's rights; the State of Texas gets paid for that violation. Hooray?

Posted by: Family-Size Bag of Dicks at July 31, 2024 05:48 AM (AUL7F)

22 Well, the IC can't legally obtain that info so they rely on 'Social Media' to do it for them. Someone on another thread said Facebook was created by the CIA. I don't dismiss stuff like that anymore. It's very plausible.

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at July 31, 2024 05:52 AM (sAmhv)

23 >>>Senator Rand Paul called it a "Pandora's box of unintended consequences."

Well, yay, Rand Paul!

Posted by: m at July 31, 2024 05:54 AM (64Zez)

24 Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), another of the bill’s lead sponsors, said the law was not aiming to block or censor content: “We’re simply creating an environment that is safe by design. And at its core, this bill is a product design bill.”
-------------------
Oh. A "product design bill". Laws seem like a funny place for product design.

Posted by: Huck Follywood at July 31, 2024 05:54 AM (z0oj/)

25 >>>Disclaimer: Even more than IPFS I hate meetings.

Meetings virtual?

Posted by: m at July 31, 2024 05:56 AM (64Zez)

26 So, the left and the various mouthpieces are really going with 'weird' as the latest 'mike drop' against the right.

Weird = Normal

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at July 31, 2024 05:57 AM (sAmhv)

27 21 Facebook violates actual people's rights; the State of Texas gets paid for that violation. Hooray?
Posted by: Family-Size Bag of Dicks at July 31, 2024 05:48 AM (AUL7F)

Hmm.

Posted by: m at July 31, 2024 05:59 AM (64Zez)

28 Re: Meta's use of facial recognition software.

One of my daughters tells me women use their phones to detect Air Tags placed surreptitiously when a scumbag wants to know where the girl lives.

If a scumbag can get access to facial recognition information (or worse, the software and libraries itself), they would be able to identify potential victims completely risk-free.

Meta, and anyone else using this tool, like casinos or shopping centers or whomever, should have strict liability shoved right up their legal bungholes. There are bad people out there, and many no doubt work at Meta.

Posted by: Huck Follywood at July 31, 2024 06:02 AM (VVpKI)

29 Christian academy sings and performs with instruments in a beautiful setting "Sweet By and By"

https://tinyurl.com/y4btfttm

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at July 31, 2024 06:05 AM (VVT+c)

30
"Pandora's box of unintended consequences."

Pithy.

pithy /pĭth′ē/
adjective

Precisely meaningful; forceful and brief.
"a pithy comment."

Posted by: Divide by Zero at July 31, 2024 06:13 AM (RKVpM)

31 I am not sure I would want a camera pointed at my bed all night.

Posted by: Cat Ass Trophy at July 31, 2024 06:14 AM (d9LQi)

32 Facebook (Meta) has always been a shitty company, everyone knows it, but you all keep feeding the dragon. Including Ace who links instagram in his cafe posts.

Posted by: Cat Ass Trophy at July 31, 2024 06:16 AM (d9LQi)

33 .

NOOD Morning Report

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at July 31, 2024 06:19 AM (O7YUW)

34 Pilot offers to take woman's dog for walk during unscheduled flight delay:

https://tinyurl.com/yp8y5jwh

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at July 31, 2024 06:20 AM (VVT+c)

35 Yeah look at all them republicans bringing us smaller, less intrusive government.

Posted by: rechill at July 31, 2024 07:48 AM (4PBYb)

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